The Male Lead Is Trying To Tame Me With Money - Chapter 142

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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142.

“Right now, what is this….”

“Prince Casian is not the Emperor’s biological son?”

The atmosphere in the audience chamber instantly became turbulent.

And the Fourth Consort who had overturned the situation did not get angry, but quietly shed tears.

“Your Majesty, how miserably do you intend to make me? I entered this Imperial Palace second only to the late Empress, and now I have served Your Majesty longer than anyone else.”

It was a sorrowful voice. As if filled only with sincerity.

She continued speaking as if this situation was too sad and the Emperor was a pitiful person.

Her voice had persuasive power that instantly quieted the audience chamber that had become noisy due to the unexpected revelation.

“I willingly submitted because Your Majesty desired it. I tried to embrace Prince Casian as well for Your Majesty’s sake. But….”

The Fourth Consort spoke while looking only at the Emperor, not even thinking to wipe away the tears that had fallen.

“Is this not too much? But now to restore Riedern’s honor…. Then what happens to the honor of Charlie and myself!”

“-Fourth Consort.”

The Emperor was dumbfounded by her words.

“Will you tell me to endure again? All the witnesses from that day are here in this place. Are you trying to cover up what I did for Your Majesty!”

“What nonsense are you spouting, Fourth Consort!”

The Emperor shouted at her in anger.

However, the Fourth Consort looked at the Pope as if she ‘truly’ had something hidden.

In this series of situations, everyone was confused, unable to know what the truth was.

To that extent, the Fourth Consort’s words didn’t seem fabricated.

Especially the temple side, who had just been ungrateful toward Casian, felt this even more.

“…But surely the temple said he was a biological son.”

“It was rather His Majesty the Emperor who denied that.”

“But it was the Fourth Consort who requested the paternity confirmation from the temple at that time.”

Even though it was a story contrary to what was publicly known, the assembly was shaken by that one fact that the Fourth Consort had requested the paternity confirmation.

Moreover, even in this chaotic situation, only the Pope maintained a calm expression, adding credibility to the Fourth Consort’s words.

Soon the Emperor, who had been silent, opened his mouth.

“…You truly never change, not once from then until now.”

He looked at the Fourth Consort, unable to hide his dismay.

And the Fourth Consort answered the Emperor’s words even more boldly.

“Yes, I have not changed. At least not in my heart for Your Majesty and this Imperial Palace.”

Only then did she lightly wipe her eyes and speak to the Emperor.

“Because I was afraid to reveal this truth, no matter how much I acted against Your Majesty’s wishes, you couldn’t banish me from the Imperial Palace. You just kept repeating that there was no evidence.”

At the Fourth Consort’s self-mocking words, the nobles became even more reserved in their speech.

Because it seemed to fit together at first glance.

I glanced at Casian.

He just had a calm expression.

When I lightly touched his fingertips with my finger, he grasped it.

The pulse I felt through his palm was reassuringly peaceful.

-Humans really live in such complicated ways.

And Pea, who had been watching this entire situation, sighed deeply and spoke.

-To my eyes, such similar energy flows that it’s strange to be swayed by such empty words….

Well, that’s because you’re a dragon.

As a being who sees what human eyes cannot see, it must be utterly bewildering.

Anyway, now it was my turn to step forward.

I couldn’t leave him alone when he had nothing to hold onto except my hand.

“To summarize, Your Highness the Fourth Consort’s words mean that the paternity test the temple conducted on Prince Casian previously was false?”

The Fourth Consort’s face slowly turned toward me.

The red tear stains that remained from wiping late were particularly chilling today.

“That’s right, Clupea Margrave. It must be very sad news for you.”

She looked at me with a face full of sympathy, like a benevolent saint.

“Even so, two people who are deeply in love wouldn’t be shaken, would they? I too, and His Majesty the Emperor even more so, have no intention of casting out Prince Casian. It’s just….”

The Fourth Consort’s eyes turned toward Charlie.

“As a consort of the Imperial Palace, and as one who was an empress, I thought I couldn’t stand by and watch the Imperial Palace become so baselessly corrupted.”

It was truly a textbook justification.

The Emperor was sighing as if his head was throbbing from the uncontrollable existence called the Fourth Consort.

After briefly exchanging glances with the Emperor, I next directed a question to the Pope.

“Your Holiness the Pope, could you tell us whether what Her Highness the Fourth Consort said is true? I understand that you were the one who conducted Prince Casian’s paternity test at that time.”

At my calm question, the Pope made a pitiful face.

“Even at times like this, you are truly composed.”

It sounded subtly like a reproach asking if I had no tears or emotions, but I didn’t mind.

The Pope remained silent for a long time as if waiting for me to be shaken, then reluctantly shook his head and spoke.

“I thought this old body would remain silent about this for life, but since it has come to this, there’s nothing that can be done….”

When the Pope sighed deeply, the gathered people took it as an answer.

That Casian Artez was not the Emperor’s biological son.

They began to murmur, breaking the silence they had been maintaining.

“Then the reason the empress position has been vacant all this time was….”

“Even so, isn’t this something that shakes the foundation of the Imperial Palace?”

“Did His Majesty intend to give the crown prince position to His Highness, who isn’t even his biological son, or… is it proper to call him Your Highness? Anyway, up to the crown prince position?”

Among them, there were naturally those who spoke carelessly.

However, I was truly grateful that even in the flow of this conversation, the advisors belonging to the Winter Palace maintained their serious attitude without being shaken.

I was even more grateful that they showed no signs of wounded pride.

Perhaps feeling the same emotion, Casian’s hand holding mine tightened with more strength.

When the murmuring of the assembly had ripened, the Pope asked the Emperor as if troubled.

“May I truly answer like this, Your Majesty the Emperor? The temple can keep silent for the sake of friendship with the Imperial Palace.”

What a cunning old man.

He had spoken to make everyone think suspicions about Casian were definitive, and now he was trying to gain what he could by remaining silent.

If the Pope neither affirmed nor denied, the Fourth Consort could end up taking all the blame alone, at least ‘for now.’

And the Fourth Consort, who was about to take all the blame alone in an instant, was smiling serenely even in this situation.

As if it didn’t matter.

‘I suppose she’s confident she can endure anything as long as she can damage Casian and His Majesty the Emperor.’

The Emperor’s gaze briefly touched mine once more.

He spoke to the Pope as if everything was exhausting.

“Speak, and don’t try to manipulate the Imperial Palace in such ways.”

“Thinking that way makes me truly regretful. The temple only tried to maintain friendship with the Imperial Palace….”

He really was someone who was good with words.

“As a cleric, is it acceptable for you to wield power like that, to try to hide the truth? Your Holiness the Pope.”

At my words, the Pope shook his head as if regretful.

“How truly impious.”

I really don’t know who should be saying that.

Regardless of my incredulous reaction, the Pope moved his mouth well, as befitting someone with an open mouth.

“I really don’t understand why you interpret it that way. I was only trying to save a pitiful child of the gods. Those who would side with Prince Casian are too harsh.”

“I don’t think sympathy built on lies feels warm.”

At my words, the Pope looked at Casian with subtle eyes.

“Is that enough for Your Highness as well?”

Apparently, His Holiness the Pope was very upset about not being able to seize control of this situation and being dragged around.

Seeing how he was dragging out such a predetermined answer.

At that question, everyone’s gaze focused on Casian.

“That’s right, I’m tired of hearing any more arguments about my birth. Also, either way, the fact that I am the last child of Riedern doesn’t change.”

“To have such pride in the name Riedern, the late Empress must be very happy. Even though she denied it.”

The meaning behind the Pope’s voice, dropped like a stone, was clear.

“That’s right, Prince Casian is not the Emperor’s biological son. We concealed this at the earnest request of the Fourth Consort. However…”

He wore that pathetically pitiful smile he had shown several times today.

“The Emperor pretends to care for the Prince now, but…”

The Pope gave a faint smile.

He seemed quite pleased with this situation.

Perhaps he thought he could now reclaim the initiative that had completely slipped away.

“He had been pretending not to know all this time, fearing that acknowledging the Prince, who was hated by the Gods, would harm the Imperial Court.”

The moment the Pope’s words came out, Casian asked with a cold expression.

“Your Holiness guarantees and takes responsibility for everything you’ve just said, I presume.”

“That’s correct. If you wish, I can also present the verification stone from the paternity test conducted over twenty years ago.”

Despite the Pope’s confident words, Casian immediately turned his head toward the Fourth Consort.

“The Fourth Consort feels the same way, I suppose.”

“That’s right, Prince Casian.”

At those words, Casian smiled crookedly.

Reflexively, sharp screams arose from among the aristocrats.

It was the instinctive reaction of those who had been subjected to that smile a few times before.

‘It seems the Pope thinks he’s someone unconnected to this matter.’

But wasn’t there one person here who had been excessively quiet since the real conversation began?

We turned our heads toward Wesley, who had been maintaining the consistently benevolent face of a saint beside the Pope.

So that everyone’s gaze would naturally follow.

The moment all eyes focused on him, Casian asked in an extremely polite tone.

“—Two days ago, Your Eminence said something quite different. Could you tell us what you think about this, Your Eminence.”

It was a statement that overturned the already reversed situation once more.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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